The United States wants "workable and constructive" relations with "big powers," including India, Russia and China, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Council for Foreign Relations. "It goes without saying that it is not feasible to solve many problems through diplomacy if you cannot find at least common interests and common cause" with these countries, she told the think tank last evening.
Admitting that miscalculations were made while drawing up post Saddam Hussein strategy, she spoke of the new initiative to build the Civilian Response Corps which would have specialists from all disciplines who could help failed States and countries coming out of conflict in all major areas.
"We have learnt this is an important function and are trying to adapt our institutions to do it," she added.
When the United States planned post conflict operations in Iraq, the idea was that it would be able to remove Saddam Hussein and the civilian institutions civil services essentially would be in palace to run the country.
Instead everything, including the ministries, collapsed, she added.
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Replying to another question, Rice expressed confidence that democracy will prevail in China which is now going through a major transformation of its economic life.